The invention relates to a method for tracking control, in particular for a magnetic tape recorder. The invention is based on a method according to the precharacterizing clause of Claim 1.
In the following text, the term magnetic tape recorder means any apparatus in which signals, data or information are recorded in analogue and/or digital form on a magnetic tape and/or are read from such a magnetic tape. Irrespective of this, such apparatus may also have other functions, for example they may be combined with an electronic camera.
The publication xe2x80x9cTowards the Multitrack Digital Video Tape Recorderxe2x80x9d by Francois Maurice in xe2x80x9cThe Magnetic Society of Japanxe2x80x9d 1991, Volume 15, pages 389 to 394 discloses a magnetic tape recorder in which a large number of data and/or signal tracks are recorded on a magnetic tape using the method of longitudinal track recording. In the case of the apparatus disclosed in this document, the data tracks are written simultaneously by means of a matrix head. In one exemplary embodiment of this apparatus, up to 80 parallel tracks are written with a width of 7 xcexcm without guard bands, that is to say without any intermediate space between the individual tracks.
The data tracks are read by a magneto-optical scanning device, which has a magneto-optical transducer. Using the Kerr effect, the alternating magnetization on the data tracks is converted into optical signals from which, in turn, electrical signals are produced by means of a photo-sensitive CCD element (xe2x80x9cCharge Coupled Devicexe2x80x9d). In this case, each data track is assigned a cell or a pixel of the CCD element. In order to replay the stored data correctly, it is advantageous if each data track is imaged onto one, and only one, associated CCD pixel, to be precise even if, for example, the height of the magnetic tape is fluctuating or if mechanical vibration is varying the position of the data tracks with respect to the magneto-optical transducer. In order to achieve this aim, it is known from the prior art for a transparent plane-parallel tracking plate to be provided in the beam path between the magneto-optical transducer and the CCD element. The tracking plate is movable which means that one, and only one, data track is imaged onto each CCD pixel, as is disclosed, for example, in German Patent Application 197 47 493.4, from the same applicant.
In the case of a xe2x80x9cStationary Digital Cassette Recorderxe2x80x9d magnetic tape system which is referred to by the abbreviation SDCR, 80 data tracks are recorded simultaneously, of which three are so-called servo tracks in which suitable patterns are stored in order to make it possible to detect a laterally offset map of the optical signals emitted from the magneto-optical transducer, on the CCD element. Suitable patterns and a method for evaluation of these patterns are described in German Patent Application DE-A 196 10 089 from the same applicant. However, these are not the subject of the present application.
The known method and the known appliance are able to compensate very quickly for fluctuations in the tape height and mechanical vibration. However, in practice, it has been found that the optics which are used are not always able to image all 80 data tracks completely homogeneously. This means that, for example, the first data tracks on one edge of the magnetic tape are imaged precisely onto one pixel, while a significant error occurs between the last data tracks on the other edge of the magnetic tape and their associated pixels.
Based on this, the object of the invention is to specify a method for tracking control, which allows tracking correction which preserves the advantages of the known method but avoids its disadvantages.
This object is achieved by a method according to Claim 1. The method is characterized in that while a data section is moving past the head unit, primary measured values are determined from at least one control track. Furthermore, while the initial region of a data section is moving past the head unit, secondary measured values are determined from at least one additional control track. A tracking signal is derived from the primary and secondary measured values, which indicates whether and, if appropriate, in which direction the head unit of the magnetic tape recorder has moved away from its nominal position on the data medium. The tracking signal is used to produce a tracking control signal, by means of which suitable corrections are made in order to compensate for errors in tracking.
It is particularly advantageous if for the purpose of corrections the tracking control signal is emitted to at least one actuator, by means of which the position of the regions which can be addressed by the head unit on the data medium is varied. This can be done, for example, by a tracking plate which influences the beam path of the light coming from the magneto-optical transducer, in such a way that one, and only one data track recorded on the data medium is in each case imaged onto each pixel of the CCD element.
According to a development of the invention, it is possible first of all to determine a first tracking signal from the primary measured values while the initial region of the data section is moving passed the head unit and then to determine a second tracking signal in both the primary measured values and the secondary measured values, after which a difference value is formed from the first tracking signal and the second tracking signal and is stored and, during this time interval, the tracking control signal is produced solely from the second tracking signal.
Building on this, it is advantageous if while the useful region of a data section is moving past the head unit a first tracking control signal is determined from the primary measured values, and if during this time interval the tracking control signal is produced from the first tracking signal as well as the stored difference value. This has the advantage that, although only one control track is evaluated, account is taken as far as possible of shortcomings in the optical imaging system along the width of the data medium for tracking control of the head unit.
A second aspect of the invention relates to a method for recording data on a data medium in the form of tape, in particular in the form of longitudinal tracks.
DE 196 10 089 discloses the use of servo tracks for longitudinal track recording over the entire length of a magnetic tape. As explained initially, it is advantageous for tracking that it is as accurate as possible for a plurality of servo tracks to be recorded distributed over the entire width of the magnetic tape. However, a disadvantage in this case is that space on the magnetic tape is filled with servo data, which, in consequence, is no longer available for recording useful data.
Based on this, a further object of the invention is to specify a recording method which allows an increased useful data density of a magnetic tape, without this adversely affecting the quality of tracking.
This object is achieved by a method according to Claim 5. Based on the recording method according to the invention, servo tracks are recorded early in those regions where the tracking method actually carries out evaluation. This has the advantage that as much space as possible on the data needed is available for useful data.
Further advantageous developments of the recording method according to the invention are the subject matter of dependent claims.
A final aspect of the invention is to provide a magnetic tape which allows the use of the method according to the invention for tracking. This object is achieved by a magnetic tape according to Claim 10.
This magnetic tape is distinguished by a particularly high storage capacity for freely usable data.